The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-08-16
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.
THE GARDEN Valley or CENTRAL
AMERICA FGLLY DESCRIBED.
This subject Before the American Asso-
citation for the Advancement of Science.
Interesting Paper by Surgeon Bransford,
United STATES Navy.

4
| United STATES Navy.
New YORK. August l5.-Surgeon John
| +. Bransford, United States Navy, read a
paper before the Association to-day,
which was received with great interest by
| the large audience present, and will be
widely commented on by the press and
the public generally. Ii is a revelation
of the character of the tropical region
where the lnter-Oceanic Canal is To-
Gated,
"The line of mountains forming the
continental divide in Central America
passes north OF Panama in direction
almost east and west Bending slightly
to the south at first, it curves west later
and then to the north, passing through
Nicaragua in a nOrthwestcry direction
This brings IL across the course OF the
northeast trade wind. which Is not
here DETECTED, but rushes over the
hills and through the gaps to the Pacific
"The section Of country under cOnsid-
Grafton Is the depression in this ridge be
tween the mountain of SegOyia, four
thousand feet high, and the peaks Of
COstO Rica, which reach an altitude OK
over eleven thousand The bottom Of the
depression is occupied blythe San Juan
river, Lake Nicaragua, and the Rio
Grand, its greatest elevation being a nun
dred and fifty feet above the sea aata APPOINT
between the lake and the Pacific. The
axis of the valley is nearly east and west,
and lying as 10 does, In the track Of the
trades, there is almost a constant breeze
throughout It's length
This wind, i'm yentilating and drying
The country. and in lowering tempera-
turc is the great sanitary agent in Mica
ragua.
de kerhallet, who made his estimate
from great numherOf observations, gives
the equatorial limit Of the northeast trade
wind i'm winter s. l5' spring, . 45'
summer, T. go; autumn, i0' 00'.
The mountains OF SegOyia and Mata-
galpa lie north of TO and winds strik-
ing south Of that point draw through the
Nicaragua gap, which is the lowest pass
In the range between Alaska and the
straits of Magellan This point being
north OF the equatorial limit of The north
east trades these winds are prevalent
the year round, only being interrupted
for "a few days at "A time by an occa-
sional southwestern Childs found them
prevailing In each month. Lull says the
trades blow ten months in the year Memo
cal has I'm 1888 December, with wind
north, and I'm 1884 southwest wind in
October; for The other months OF those
TWO years the wind, prevailing range
from y J.. 90 = f. According 10 the
l0g-b0Ok of the t. s. ;. Ranger. on the
coast from Cape DcsOlado 10 Punta Are
nus. November 26th 1884, TO January
Both. 1885, inclusive, the wind was from
eastward always, and nearly al the timo
between e. and y r.
Finally wc have from the office Of the
Chief Signal Officer [ 5. A., report
for each day for the last twelve months
by the observer at Riyas, Nicaragua
From that report we find that the wind
was east OF the meridian for 2s3 days out
Of the year ending June Both, 1887.
THE Atlantic slope OF Nicaragua IS
densely wooded and The ground is kept
comparatively cool the warm, moisture
laden winds have their temperature sud
denly lowered, and, a, result, copious
rain comes down BY the time the wind
reaches the lakc-basin IT'S surplus mois- I
ture Is gone, the drier land raises It's
temperature. and, instead OF depOsiting. f.
70 takes mp moisture. Hence the differ /
cnce i'm climate between the east and /
west sides Of the Countrywide latter be- I
ing. i'm the dry season from November 10 /
May, almost without rain Squier says
of this season, the temperature is less,
the nights positively cool, and the winds .
chilling The sky Is cloud .
less, and trtling showers fall at rare in .
teryals This season Is esteemed .
the healthiest Of the year It's effect Is
that OF Northern winter. .
checking and destroying that rank and .
ephcmeral vegetation which, constantly .
renewed where the rains are constant, .
p form dense. dark jungles, the .
birthpaces and homes of malaria and .
death
The trades blow almost throughout .
the year Strong during the dry season
and freshening during the day the wind .
comes from the east northeast, and blows
usually for four 90 five days, when haul (
ing 90 the east or southeast for day
Or two, # Gains down, then goes back 10
northeast and rises again
The Doctor then gives an intesting de-
,cripti0n OF the capabilities OF the cOun-
try in timber and in climate. and proposes
a system OF temporary hospital accom-
along the whole line that can
be- built at small cost, and which in case
jf being infected with contagious dis
Ease could be destroyed and others pro-
,ided. He then refers TO he co-Opera.
ion OF the Nicaraguan Government which
would secure the enforcement Of disci-
)line among the hands, and shows the
superior advantages OF employing the
negroes of the adjacent States.
OF the western section of the route he
ays The beauty fertility and salu
jrity OF this region have received the
encomiums Of visitors, since
he day when the gentle King Nicarao
admitted as guest Gil Gonzalez de
iyila, that most upright Of the Spanish
,onquerOrs
The undulating surface becomes hilly .
iear the Pacific and within a few miles
4 the sea breaks into the coast range
rom five 10 twelve hundred feet in
leight. The country Is well drained